


Shake me 'till I'm still

by RainingPrince



Series: Theoretically Canon-Compliant but largely unrelated Good Omens shorts [9]
Category: Good Omens (TV), Good Omens - Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett
Genre: Alcohol, Best Friends, Dancing, Established Relationship, Genderfluid Character, He/Him Pronouns For Crowley (Good Omens), Illustrated, Passcodes, Queerplatonic Relationships, They/Them Pronouns for Crowley (Good Omens)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-01
Updated: 2020-05-01
Packaged: 2021-03-02 03:35:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,525
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23958538
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RainingPrince/pseuds/RainingPrince
Summary: Anathema’s birthday was yesterday, so Crowley takes her dancing.
Relationships: Crowley & Anathema Device
Series: Theoretically Canon-Compliant but largely unrelated Good Omens shorts [9]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1594831
Comments: 1
Kudos: 16
Collections: AJ Squared





	Shake me 'till I'm still

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much to my lovely beta-readers! Your work is appreciated <3
> 
> Content warnings:  
> There is a brief mention of roofies, nothing comes of it.  
> This fic originally featured a second half but I eventually decided that I wasn't satisfied with it and deleted it. This dropped the rating from explicit to teen.

“Brought you something,” Crowley says, not even bothering to start with ‘hello’ as he swoops into the room. “Happy Birthday.”

Anathema beams as they cross the room and plant a kiss in her hair. “You said that yesterday!”

“I felt like saying it again.” Crowley shrugs and drops a blue gift bag in her lap. “Can’t I spoil you?”

“What’s this?” She asks, setting down the book she had been reading and gently prodding the bag.

“Pull it out and see.”

She reaches into the bag and immediately her hand is enveloped in soft fabric. Pulling it out, she reveals a dress in a rich warm purple, with a sparkly buckle placed beneath a deep V neckline. “Oh, it’s beautiful!”

“We’re going out tonight, I thought you deserved something special to wear.”

“You do spoil me.” She drapes the dress across her dresser and reaches for her jewelry box. “I know just the thing to wear with this.”

~*~

Crowley is eyeing her with interest, clearly pleased. “I knew it’d look incredible on you.”

“I love it! It’s so comfortable, and check out the twirl on this skirt!” She laughs, dancing across her bedroom. 

“No one will be able to keep their eyes off you.” Crowley smirks, holding out a hand.

Anathema takes it, and the demon spins her around a couple more times before pulling her in against their body and pressing a kiss to her lips. “Least of all me.”

“You flirt!”

“Guilty as charged.”

~*~

“C’moooonnnn, we’re gonna be stuck in line for an hour at this rate! Let’s go!”

“Like I can’t snap my fingers and get us in,” Crowley grumbles, very carefully applying a perfect wing to his eyeliner.

“Like you can’t snap your fingers and finish your makeup.” She snipes right back.

He glares at her in the mirror as he applies the other side, and then reaches for his lipstick.

“You can do that in the car,” Anathema says, tapping her foot. “Better yet, I can do it for you. Let’s go!”

“Fine,” he snaps, tucking the lipstick in his tiny purse.

~*~

They arrive on time, Crowley’s driving partially to blame, as well as the fact that the owners of the club had miraculously decided to open thirteen minutes later than usual. The Carnation was just as popular as it always was, but Mason and Thorn waved Anathema and Crowley in past the line with little more than a nod.

Kell is behind the bar, blue hair pulled back in a messy ponytail and a grin on their face as they catch a glimpse of Anathema and Crowley. “I’m going to go say hello,” Anathema says, touching Crowley’s shoulder.

Crowley simply nods and disappears into the steadily growing mass of bodies on the dance floor.

Kell is in a good mood, and hands her a drink almost immediately. “You’re all dressed up. Special occasion?”

“It’s my birthday!” Anathema takes a sip of the offered drink and nods approvingly. “And this is amazing, as always.”

“Your birthday! Congratulations!” They tuck a blue lock behind their ear and grab a pad of paper. “That’s on the house, as well as the next one. Where is that skinny nerd of yours?”

Anathema smiles. “Technically, it was yesterday. Newt’s at home, probably tinkering with something. We went to the museum last week and he had another brilliant idea, he’s been elbow-deep in soldering supplies ever since.”

“Did he at least give you yesterday?”

“Absolutely, he made me breakfast in bed. Oh, by the way there’s a party tomorrow, you should come if you can.”

“If it’s before my shift I’ll see what I can do.”

~*~

She gets up to dance after the first drink, finding a partner with little effort. He’s shorter than her, thick curly hair and a bright satin tie over a floral dress shirt. He’s got moves, Anathema is impressed, and his hands are rough and strong where they touch.

They had been at it for a while (at least four songs) when smaller, more familiar hands find her waist and a thick voice whispers in her ear, clearer than it should have been among the lyrics blasting from the speakers. “Having a good time?”

“Hey you,” she smiles, tilts her head up to kiss their cheek. “I’m having a fantastic time!”

“Terrific.” Crowley chuckles. “I’ll be right back, not going far.”

“Causing trouble are you?” She smirks.

His answering wink says it all.

“Who was that?” Silk tie asks as Crowley disappears once again, off on some mischievous mission or another.

“My best friend.”

~*~

She’s on drink three, perched at the bar and discussing the finer points of crystal tuning with Kell and Marco (silk tie) when Crowley reappears. “Vesper martini, shaken.”

“You can just ask for your regular.” Kell’s lips turn up in amusement. “You’ve been ordering the same terrible drink for years.”

Crowley gasped in mock offence. “It’s not terrible, it’s classic!”

“It’s a reference and you don’t even leave it as-is, I know you change it when I’m not looking.”

“Fuck off.”

Anathema changes the subject as Crowley slips into a seat. “Did you cause sufficient mayhem tonight?”

“Oh, yeah. By the by Kell, did you see that gentleman in the hideous orange jacket?”

“What about him?”

“I found these in his jacket pocket.” Crowley waves a small bag of pills in front of Kell, who grimaces. “Don’t worry, he’s already gone and you’ll never see him again.”

“Good riddance. I’ll flush those.”

Anathema shakes her head. “That’s bad for the water system actually, they could get caught somewhere or release their components into the sewers.” 

“Besides, it’s much easier to simply,” Crowley drops the bag, which falls for about a quarter of a second before disappearing entirely, “do that.”

Marco, who had until now been quietly nursing a beer, jolts. “How the fuck did you do that?”

The demon turns to look at him. “Who the fuck is this?”

~*~

~*~

As the Carnation closes its doors for the night, the last few patrons wandering out into the chilly London air in search of breakfast or bed, Crowley and Anathema take a detour on their way home. He had refused to sober up just yet so they left the Bentley parked near the club, and walked to a park just a few streets over. Anathema is not quite as drunk as she was earlier, but she can still feel the pleasant hum of the alcohol in her system and the city seems to be suspended in a rare moment of peace.

Crowley is wobbly on his legs, bent over beneath a lamppost for support and snickering breathlessly about something she can’t remember. Their hair is messy, the sequins of their vest sparkling in the night.

Anathema closes her eyes, takes a deep breath, and starts to take off her shoes.

“What are you doing” Crowley asks, eyeing her newly freed toes.

“Whatever I want.” She drops both shoes on the pavement and runs off into the grass, her dress billowing behind her.

It takes her a little while to run out of breath, circling a few trees and even climbing one, before she nearly rips the dress and decides not to risk it. When she’s done, she finds a nice soft patch of grass and lays down, the blades tickling her bare skin wherever they can reach.

A shuffling of feet and a defeated sigh later, she hears more than sees Crowley come over and lay down nearby, heads close together. “What are you thinking about?” They ask.

“Passcodes.”

“Wot?”

“You ever think about what you would do if you were suddenly locked in a time loop? How would you explain that to the people close to you?” She scratches absently at her face. “What would get them to believe you? Or vice versa?”

“Are you serious?” He sounds incredulous, and she can’t help but laugh.

“Humor me.”

“Well…” he’s silent for a moment. “I don’t know. Have you got any ideas?”

She bites her lip. “What about a code word? A word that means ‘It’s vitally important that you trust me right now and I don’t have time to explain’ and if one of us says it, we know what’s going on.”

“That works I suppose. Is this code word specific to a time loop then?”

“Maybe, or there could be slight variations. What about something ridiculous like ‘salmon-flavored froyo’?”

“You say the most fascinating and confounding things.” Crowley laughs.

“Why thank you.”

They are quiet for a moment, just breathing deep and listening to the sounds of the city, the rippling of the pond nearby, and crickets.

“When I was little my family had a password, and if someone ever said they came from my parents and they said the password, I would know it was safe.”

“That sounds reasonable.”

“Do you want a passcode?”

“Like a secret?”

“Yeah, like a secret.”

“Got a suggestion?”

A car passes by then, and she considers as she listens to it fade away. “I’ve had some song lyrics stuck in my head lately.”

“What are they?”

“Shake me ‘till I’m still.”

“Ominous. Discordant. I like it.”

“Yeah. Me too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Name is from “Bones” by Charlotte Martin, I highly recommend the entire “Veins” album.
> 
> According to Anthema's passport in the show, her birthday is April 30th, so I'm posting this today because this would be happening May 1st.  
> However, according to the canon for this series (There WILL be more) this is happening May 1st 2022, so this is early.
> 
> ~
> 
> I picked out outfits for them!
> 
> Anathema  
> [This dress](https://www.dresslily.com/short-sleeve-high-waist-flare-product7916046.html), a large Amethyst pendant and matching earrings.  
> Crowley  
> [This vest](https://www.dresslily.com/plus-size-sequin-crisscross-vest-product8266987.html), black jeans, chunky heels.  
> Features a lovely sketch by [lordazazel23](https://lordazazel23.tumblr.com/) thank you so much!

**Author's Note:**

> Name is from “Bones” by Charlotte Martin, I highly recommend the entire “Veins” album.
> 
> According to Anthema's passport in the show, her birthday is April 30th, so I'm posting this today because this would be happening May 1st.  
> However, according to the canon for this series (There WILL be more) this is happening May 1st 2022, so this is early.
> 
> ~
> 
> I picked out outfits for them!
> 
> Anathema  
> [This dress](https://www.dresslily.com/short-sleeve-high-waist-flare-product7916046.html), a large Amethyst pendant and matching earrings.  
> Crowley  
> [This vest](https://www.dresslily.com/plus-size-sequin-crisscross-vest-product8266987.html), black jeans, chunky heels.  
> Features a lovely sketch by [lordazazel23](https://lordazazel23.tumblr.com/) thank you so much!


End file.
